Hurricane Erin forecast to churn up dangerous swells and winds on US east coast
Warnings about rip currents have been posted from Florida to the New England coast, with New York City closing its beaches to swimming on Wednesday and Thursday. Several Long Island and New Jersey beaches will also be off-limits.
Off the coast of Massachusetts, Nantucket Island could see waves of more than three metres later this week. But the biggest threat is along the barrier islands of North Carolina's Outer Banks where evacuations have been ordered.
'Enjoy the shore, enjoy this beautiful weather but stay out of the water,' governor Phil Murphy said on Tuesday.
Erin has become an unusually large and deceptively worrisome storm while moving through the Caribbean, with its tropical-storm winds stretching 200 miles (320km) from its core.
Forecasters expect it will grow larger in size as it moves through the Atlantic and curls north.
It continued to lash the Turks and Caicos Islands on Tuesday, where government services were suspended a day earlier and residents were ordered to stay at home, along with parts of the Bahamas before it is expected to turn towards Bermuda and the US.
By Tuesday, Erin had lost some strength from previous days and dropped to a Category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 105mph, the National Hurricane Centre in Miami said. It was about 650 miles (1,050km) south-west of Bermuda.
Rough ocean conditions have already been seen along the US coast — at least 60 swimmers were rescued from rip currents on Monday at Wrightsville Beach, near Wilmington, North Carolina.
The biggest swells along the East Coast are expected to develop on Wednesday and last into Thursday.
Climate scientists say Atlantic hurricanes are now much more likely to rapidly intensify into powerful and catastrophic storms fuelled by warmer oceans.
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Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
NJ declares State of Emergency as Erin barrels up East Coast
By Published: | Updated: New Jersey has declared a State of Emergency as Hurricane Erin threatens the coast. Governor Phil Murphy issued the order on Thursday, warning residents to prepare for 'life-threatening rip currents... at all ocean beaches across the state.' 'Absolutely no one should be in the water today or tomorrow. Dangerous surf and rip currents are expected over the next several days,' Murphy shared on social media. Areas in the north have already experienced violent winds that knocked down trees and power lines. The State of Emergency covers all 21 counties in the Garden State, which is home to more than nine million people, and will remain until 2am ET Saturday. Erin moved away from the North Carolina coast early Thursday, but forecasters cautioned that its strong winds and dangerous swells could impact the Atlantic coastline from Virginia to Nova Scotia in the coming days. 'Over the past couple of days, we have seen the effects of Hurricane Erin along the Jersey Shore in the form of dangerous rip tides. Today and tomorrow will be no exception,' Murphy said. The National Weather Service (NWS) said residents in coastal communities should prepare for widespread roadway flooding. In response, Governor Phil Murphy issued Executive Order No. 396, declaring a State of Emergency for all 21 counties. However, not all counties are likely to be impacted by the storm. 'As the storm moves past New Jersey over the next 24 hours, we are expecting high surf and rip currents, coastal and flash flooding, and a high erosion risk in parts of the state,' said Murphy. 'We ask all New Jerseyans to monitor local weather forecasts and warnings and stay informed on evacuation protocols, especially if you're down the Shore.' The NWS has issued a Coastal Flood Advisory for Gloucester, Camden, and Northwestern Burlington Counties in New Jersey, effective from 11pm Thursday to 5am Saturday. A Coastal Flood Advisory means that minor tidal flooding is expected. Hudson, Eastern Essex and Eastern Union counties are under the same advisory until 11pm Friday. Up to one foot of inundation above ground level is expected in low-lying areas near shorelines and tidal waterways, potentially causing minor flooding and some road closures. 'Do not drive your vehicle through flood waters. The water may be deeper than you think it is. You will be putting yourself in danger and your vehicle may be damaged, leading to costly repairs,' the NWS said. A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for New Jersey's coastal waters from Manasquan Inlet to Fenwick Island, Delaware, extending up to 23 miles offshore, and for offshore areas from Hudson Canyon to Baltimore Canyon up to 1150 miles out, lasting through at least Thursday night.
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
9m Americans under State of Emergency as Hurricane Erin barrels up East Coast
New Jersey has declared a State of Emergency as Hurricane Erin threatens the coast. Governor Phil Murphy issued the order on Thursday, warning residents to prepare for 'life-threatening rip currents... at all ocean beaches across the state.' 'Absolutely no one should be in the water today or tomorrow. Dangerous surf and rip currents are expected over the next several days,' Murphy shared on social media. Areas in the north have already experienced violent winds that knocked down trees and power lines. The State of Emergency covers all 21 counties in the Garden State, which is home to more than nine million people. Erin moved away from the North Carolina coast early Thursday, but forecasters cautioned that its strong winds and dangerous swells could impact the Atlantic coastline from Virginia to Nova Scotia in the coming days. 'Over the past couple of days, we have seen the effects of Hurricane Erin along the Jersey Shore in the form of dangerous rip tides. Today and tomorrow will be no exception,' Murphy said. The National Weather Service (NWS) said residents in coastal communities should prepare for widespread roadway flooding from tonight through Friday. 'Many roads become impassable. Some damage to vulnerable structures may begin to occur,' the NWS said in an alert. This is a developing story... More updates to come.
Glasgow Times
8 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Hurricane Erin could bring wet weather to UK in coming days, Met Office says
Forecasters are tracking the potential impact of Erin, which is currently a category two storm moving eastwards across the North Atlantic, but say any effect on the UK would not happen until at least the middle of next week. Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said: 'It is too early for specific details about which parts of the country will see the windiest and wettest weather. Hurricane Erin is moving northwards between Bermuda and the east coast of the USA 🌀 It will head across the Atlantic this weekend and lose its hurricane status Exactly how it then impacts the UK weather next week will depend on it's precise path…. one to watch 👀 — Met Office (@metoffice) August 21, 2025 'What we can say is that it will gradually turn less hot and be more generally changeable.' It means there could be thundery showers from Wednesday and 'more especially' on Thursday and Friday next week at which point the weather system will officially be an ex-hurricane. Mr Morgan added: 'We are also likely to see some very large waves. 'Ex-hurricane Erin will bring quite a large swell in the sea so we could potentially see waves of four to five metres in height for the western isles of Scotland and Ireland and so for holidaymakers going to the coast, that could prove quite a hazard.' He warned this potentially unsettled weather is still 'a long way in the future' and a spell of sunshine is due over the coming days for the long Bank Holiday weekend in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Earlier this week Erin had lost some strength from previous days and dropped to a category 2 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 105mph, the National Hurricane Centre in Miami said. By Tuesday it was about 650 miles (1,050km) south-west of Bermuda. Rough ocean conditions along the US east coast led to at least 60 swimmers being rescued from rip currents on Monday at Wrightsville Beach, near Wilmington, North Carolina. Currently UK temperatures are on the rise and could reach around 24C or 25C in a few spots on Sunday, across many regions from anywhere from the south of England up to the east of Scotland. He said: 'It's looking fine, dry and there will be quite a bit of warm sunshine around, particularly on Sunday and on Bank Holiday Monday. 'For festivals and outdoor events, the weather should not cause any disruption. 'It's looking very summer-like and really pleasant to warm for most.'
